Music-indicator.



No. 877,259. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. W. E. THRASH. MUSIC INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1905.

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No. 877,259. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. W. E. THRASH. MUSIC INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEO.6.,1905.

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Wain/11 5771 Ins/6,1 1 H Emi -k 110 m c o No. 877,259. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. W. E. THRASH. MUSIC INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEG.6,1905.

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APPLICATION FILED DEG.6,1905.

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hmancbmsk E ma -0 mQ N4 (Um UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EfTHRASH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

MUSIC-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application filed December a. 1905. Serial No. 290.632.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. THRASH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Music-Indicator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for indicat ing the proper keys of a piano, organ, or similar instrument, which are to be struck, in

playing notes, scales, chords, exercises and the like.

One of the principal objects is to provide a comparatively simple structure which can readily be placed upon the key board of an instrument, will show notation of different kinds and characters, and will clearly interpret or point out the keys of the instrument which are to be struck in playing the same.

A further object is to provide a novel con struction which is very comprehensive in its scope, and which may be employed for a variety of purposes, such as indicating the mere keys of a key board, the scales and chords, both major and minor, together with their rejtaitions, exercises, simple harmonies and the An embodiment of the invention, which is at present considered preferable, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in the following specification. An inspection of the claims will clearly indicate, however, that such invention is not limited to the exact structure disclosed.

In the-accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the indicator, showing the same upon a keyboard. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end of the indicator. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the opposite end. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section through the indicator. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a view in elevation on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the carrier plate, showing the key indicators of the major mode. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the opposite side of said carrier plate, showing the key indicators of the minor mode. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the plate carrying the key finder scale and showing a, portion of the supporting frame in section. web, showing a portion of the chart thereon.

Fig. 10 is a view of a portion of the Similar reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, a support is employed, that is in the form of a frame having a base or bottom 11, end walls 12, a curved top 13, connecting the end walls, and a front wall 14. The front wall 14 is set at an inclination, and is provided with a view portion in the form of an opening 15, extending longitudinally in said wall. At one end of the opening 15 is formed another view opening 16.

Journaled in the frame is a pair of rollers 17, which, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, are tubular. These rollers are each journaled at one end on stationary gudgeons .18, carried by one of the end walls, their opposite ends having removable gudgeons 19 engaged therein; plugs that are rotatably mounted in the other end wall to that carrying the gudgeons 18, and said gudgeons 19 fit snugly within the rollers 17 being provided with retaining springs 20, that engage in sockets 21 formed in the rollers. The opposite ends of the rollers to those carrying the gudgeons 19 have gear wheels 22, intermeshed with which is an intermediate gear wheel or pinion 23. This pinion 23 is carried by a stub-shaft 24, journaled in the adjacent end wall 12 and projecting therethrough, the outer end of the stub-shaft having a turning head 25. The intermediate gear wheel 23 is movable out of mesh with the gear wheels 22, and this may be accomplished by having the stub-shaft 24 longitudinally movable, though this result may be obtained in any manner desired.

Wrapped upon the tworollers 17 is a web 26, that may be of any desired material, which web passes about idler rollers 27 journaled on the frame, said web passing across the view opening 15. The rollers 27 are preferably mounted in the same manner as the rollers 17, namely, each of said rollers 27 is journaled at one end upon a boss or gudgeon 28, carried by one of the end walls of the frame, while a removable gudgeon plug 29 is detachably mounted in the op osite end and is ournaled in the other end wa l of theframe. Upon the web is laced a plurality of sets of musical note in icators. 'While these sets may be of any character that is found desir- The gudgeons 19 are in the form of able, in order to fully illustrate the invention and indicate its comprehensiveness, a portion of the web is shown in Fig. 10, wherein it will be seen that a series of staffs are provided on which different scales and chords are shown, as well as the standard fingering therefor, the same being illustrated in stand-- opening 15, is provided on its opposite sides with sets of key indicators in the form of ar-' rows 31, extending completely across the plate, and having intermediate, relative and corresponding symbols or designs 32. The relative symbols or designs are correspondingly shaped and colored. The said key indicators on one side of the plate constitute the major mode, while those on the opposite side are arranged to point out the minor mode. The plate is arranged to be turned by means of-a thumb wheel 33, located at the same end of the supporting frame, at which the thumb wheel 25 is located, said thumb wheel 33 being mounted on one of the pintles .of the plate 30.

In order to position the apparatus u on the key board, the following is rovidbd. Each set of key indicators on the p ate 30 is provided with a central key note indicator, designated 34. At the end of each set of musical note indicators on the chart, are printed directions 35, stating the key over which the key note indicator is to be placed. These directions are exposed through the opening 16 when the corresponding set of musical note indicators appears in the view opening 15. Therefore, if the rollers are turned until the scale of C major is exposed, the directions will appear in the o ening 16, to place the key note on C of the l ey board. It may happen, however, that the student is not acquainted with the keys of the key board, and therefore mechanical means are referably provided for selecting the same.

his means in the present embodiment, is constructed as follows: A plate 36 is slidably associated with the supporting frame and has depending keepers 37, which are arranged to be placed on oppositesides ofone of the black keys, as for instance, A The plate slidably passes through one of the end walls and has thereon a signature finder scale 38, comprising a lower set of major key signatures and ulpper set of minor key signatures. When 0 e keepers 37 are placed over the black key A as shown in Fig. 1, the various signatures of the major keys will be located over the proper keys of the key board. A finder plate 39 is carried by one of the end walls 12 of the frame, and has openings 40 therein, through which the different key signatures appear when the support is moved with respect to the plate 36. It will therefore be evident that with the directions appearing through the opening 16, the operator has only to move the support until the desired signature appears through one of the o enings 40, whereupon the key indicators 0 the carrier plate 30 will .be located over the proper keys of the key board.

The use of the indicator may perhaps be best explained by a simple example. If the student desires to play the scale of C major, the handle 25 is turned, thereby revolving both rollers and moving the web past the view 0 ening 15. hen the desired notation is disc osed, the web is stopped. The carrier plate 30 is then arranged with the key indicators of the major mode shown, and the arrows of the said indicator will point directly from the notes above, to the keys to be play ed upon. The position of the support is readily obtained as above described, by noting the directions appearing in the opening 16, and by moving t e support so that the roper key signature is exposed through the lbwer opening 10.. If it is desired to find the relative minor scale of A, the web is again moved until that scale is shown through the opening, the support is moved until minor A is exposed in the o ening 40, the carrier plate 30 is reversed, an then the minor key indicators will point fromthe notes above to the proper keys to be played beneath. It will e evident that by this means the notes may be readily associated with the keys the represent, and chords, exercises and the li e are clearly .pointed out. If it is desired to change the chart or web, the same may be readily accom lished by removing the rollers which are ma e detachablefor the urpose. Furthermore if it is desired to tig ten the web, it is only necessary to slip the intermediate gear Wheel out of mesh, whereupon. the web carrying rollers may be independently turned.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without urther description, and it will be understood that various changes in thesize, shape, proportion, and minor details of constructlon may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:

1. In a music indicator, the combination.

with a signature finder scale ada ted to be placed upon a key board having ey-engaging means, of a support slidably associated therewith, and a carrier plate 30 reversibly iourn'aled' on the support and having indicating characters on its different sides, and means for rotating the plate.

2. In a music indicator, the combination with a plate having a signature-finder scale thereon and depending key embracing keepers, of a support slidably associated with the plate and ey indicating characters carried y the support.

3. In a music indicator, the combination with a plate having a signaturefinder scale thereon and depending key embracing keepers, of a support slidably associated with the plate and a reversible plate journaled on the support and having indicating characters thereon, and means for rotating the plate.

4, In a music indicator, the combination with a su port adapted to be placed upon a key-boar of a chart movably mounted on the support and having sets of standard musical note characters thereon, a reversible carrier journaled on the support and having indicating characters on different sides, said indicating characters directly pointing out the note characters of the chart and the corresponding keys of the key-board, said sets of standard note characters being successively movable to associated relation with the exposed indicating characters of the carrier.

5. In a music indicator, the combination with a support adapted to be placed upon a key board, of key engaging means slidably associated with the support for positioning the same upon the key board, and a chart movably mounted on'the support and having musical note indicators that are associated with the difierent keys of the key board.

6. In a music indicator, the combination with a su port adapted to be placed upon a key boar of key engaging means adjustably associated with the support for positioning the same upon a key board, a web movably mounted on the support, and a plurality of sets of musical note indicators carried by the web and successively exposed on the movement of said web, said indicators being associated with the keys of the key board.

7. In a music indicator, the combination with a supporting frame having a view portion, of key engaging means adjustably associated with the frame for locating the same in diflerent positions upon a key board, rollers journaled on the supportingframe, a web wrapped upon the rollers and passing across the view portion, said web having sets of musical note indicators, and key indicating characters carried by the support and pointing out said note indicators and the keys of the key board corresponding thereto.

8. In a music indicator, the combination with a supporting frame having a view portion, of rollers journaled on the supporting irame, a Web mounted on the rol ers and passing. across the view portion, said web aving sets of musical note indicators, a reversible plate journaled on the supporting frame beneath the View portion, the opposite sides of said plate being provided with different sets of key indicators that respectively indicate certain of the note indicators of the web and the corresponding keys of the keyboard. I

9. In a music indicator, the combination with a support adapted to be placed upon a key board and having key indicating characters that point out certain keys of the key board, said characters including a key note indicator, of a plurality of sets of note indi cating characters movably mounted on the support and successively exposed thereon, said note indicating characters being associated with the key indicating characters, said sets each having directions associated therewith for determining the positions of the key note indicators upon the key board when that particular set isexposed.

10. In a music indicator, the combination with a support adapted to be placed upon a key board and having key indicating characters that point out certain keys of said key board, said characters including a key note indicator, of rollers journaled on the support, and a web mounted on the rollers and having sets of note indicating characters that associate with the key indicating characters and are successively exposed on the support, said web' being also provided with directions associated with each set of note indicating characters for determining the positions of the key note indicator upon the key board when each set is exposed.

11. In a music indicator, the combination with a supporting frame adapted to be placed upon a key board, of a plate, with which said supporting frame is slidably associated, said plate having a signature finder scale, an indicator carried by the support and associated with the scale, a carrier mounted on the support and having key indicating characters that indicate keys of the key board, rollers journaled on the support, and a web mounted on said rollers and having sets of musical note indicators that successively. associate with the key indicating characters, said web also being provided with directions that are associated with each set of note indicating characters, for determining the position of the key indicating characters with respect to the key board.

12. In a music indicator, the combination with a supporting frame, having a view open- 'ing, of means for'positioning the frame upon a ey-board, a reversible plate journaled on the frame below said opening and having a set of major mode indicating characters on one side and a set of minor mode indicating characters on the other side that point out the keys of the key-board, rollers journaled in the frame, a web mounted on the rollers and extending across the view opening, said web being provided with sets of musical note indicators that associate with the major and minor mode indicating characters on the plate accordingly as either set is exposed, gearing connecting the rollers, operating means connected with the gearing, and. means for rotating the plate.

13., In a music indicator, the combination with a suporting frame adapted to be placed upon a key-board, of rollers j ournaled in the frame and mounted on the rollers and having sets of musical note indicators, and a reversible plate journaled on the frame and having dif-' ferent set of key indicators on its opposite sides that respectively associate certain of the musical note indicators with the corresponding keys of the key-board.

14. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder adapted to be supported transversely above the piano keys, of the piano key indicator thereon having a series of characters thereon spaced to register respectively with the piano keys, and a chart mounted on the holder and having inscribed thereon a plurality of stafis disposed parallel with the indicator, each staff having characters representing the notes disposed so as to register with the characters respectively on the key indicator, the chart being movable to different positions in which the different staffs may be brought consecutively into potion adjacent the key indicator.

. 15. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder adapted to be supported transversely above the piano keys, of the piano key indicator thereon having thereon a series of characters spaced to register with the piano keys respectively, and a chart mounted on the holder and having inscribed thereon a series of staffs disposed parallel with the key indicator, some of the staffs having characters representing the notes of different scales, said notes being disposed so as to register respectively with the characters on the key indicator corresponding to said notes, and other of said staffs having respectively characters representing chords, said characters representing the chords having lines extending respectively from them to points adjacent respectively the different characters on the key indicator corresponding to the notes of said chords, said chart being movable on the chart holder to positions in which the different staffs may be brought consecutively adjacent the key indicator. 1 v

16. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder adapted to be supported detachable therefrom, a web transversely above the piano keys, of the piano key indicator rotatively mounted in said holder and provided with two series of characters disposed on different sides of the indicator spaced so as to register respectively with thepiano keys, said two series representing respectively the minor and major keys, and a chart mounted on the chart holder and having inscribed thereon a series of staffs disposed parallel with the piano key indicator, the chart being movable to positions in which the different staffs may be brought consecutively adjacent the piano key indicator, said staffs having respectively characters representing the notes of the minor and major keys, said note characters registering respectively with the characters in the series of the corresponding keys on said key indicator. I

17. In a music indicator, the combination of a chart holder adapted to be mounted upon and movable transversely across the piano keys, of a piano key-indicator movable with said chart holder and provided with a series of characters spaced to register respectively with the piano keys, a chart carried by the chart holder and having inscribed thereon a plurality of staffs having notes representing different scales and chords, each staff having adjacent thereto a character representing the key note of said staff, and means by which the chart may be moved to positions in which the different staffs may be consecutively brought adjacent to and parallel with the indicator.

18. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder adapted to be mounted on and movable transversely across the piano keys, of a piano key indicator movable with said chart holder and having two series of characters representing respectively'the maj or and minor keys, said two series being arranged upon opposite sides of said indicator, the characters of each series being disposed so as to register with the piano keys when the chart holder is properly positioned, means by which the piano key indicator may be rotated so that the two series of characters may have their positions relative to the chart reversed, a chart carried by the chart holder and having inscribed thereon a plurality'of stafis, the difierent staffs having notes representing notes in .the major and minor keys respectively, the chart having adjacent each staff a character denoting the key note of said staff, and means by which the chart may be moved to positions in which the different staffs may be consecutively brought adjacent to and parallel with the key indicator.

19, In a music indicator, the combination with a member having means for attachment to a piano key and adapted to be disposed transversely upon the piano keys and having a longitudinally disposed series of characters re resenting different keypnotes, of a chart ho der slidable lengthwise upon said member and transversely movable across the piano keys, said chart holder having an indicator for designating successively the characters on said member, a piano having inscribed thereon a series of characters spaced to register with the piano keys, said,key indicator being movable with the chart holder to positions in which said characters on said key indicator will register respectively with difierent piano keys, one of said characters on said key indicator representing at all times the key note, a chart carried by said chart holder and provided with a series of staifs each having a certain arrangement of notes, the chart having adjacent each stafl a character denoting the key note of said staff, and means by which the chart may be moved to positions in which the difierent stafis may be consecutively brought adjacent to and parallel with thekey indicator.

20. In a music indicator, the combination with a member having means for securing it to a portion of the piano and disposed transversely across the piano keys and provided with two longitudinal series of characters representing respectively the difierent minor and major key notes, of a chart holder movable lengthwise relative to said member and transversely across the piano keys and provided with means for successively indicating the characters in the said two series, a piano key indicator rotatively mounted on the chart holder and movable therewith transversely across the piano keys and provided on two sides respectively with two rows of characters representing the major and minor keys, one character in each row representing a key note, the characters of said rows registering, when the chart holder is properly positioned, with-the piano keys respectively, a chart mounted on said holder and having inscribed thereon a series of staffs, each stafi having a certain arrangement of notes, some of the stafis being in the major and others in the minor keys, thechart having inscribed thereon ad'acent each staff, a character denoting the ey note of said stafi, and means by which the chart may be moved to positions in which the difierent staffs may be consecutively brought adjacent to and parallel with the key indicator.

21. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder movable transversely across the piano keys, of a member having means for securing it to the piano and relative to which the chart holder is longitudinally movable, said member having a series of characters representing different keys and arranged longitudinally on said member, the chart holder having means for indicating successively said characters when the chart holder is movable lengthwise relative to said member, and a chart carried by said chart holder and provided with a series of staffs inscribed thereon, said staifs having each a series of notes disposed so as to register respeckey indicator tively with the piano keys when the chart holder and chart are properly positioned, the chart having inscribed adjacent each staff a character indicating thekey note of said staff, the chart holder having an observation opening, and means by which the chart may be moved in said holder to positions in which the different staffs maybe brought consecutively in register with said opening.-

22. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder having an observation opening and movable transversely across the piano keys, of a member slidable lengthwise relative to the chart holder and provided with means for securing to the piano said member having a longitudinally arranged series of characters representing different keys, a plate secured to said holder and provided with an observation opening adapted to register consecutively with the characters on said memher when the chart holder is moved lengthwise relative to said member, a key indicator mounted on and movable with said chart holder and having inscribed thereon a series of characters adapted to register respectively with the piano keys when the chart holder is properly positioned, said piano key indicator being disposed below and parallel with the opening in the chart holder, and a chart having inscribed thereon a series of staffs each having suitable note inscriptions, the chart adjacent each staff having a character designating the key note of said staff, the chart being movable to positions in which the difierent staffs may be brought consecutively into register with said opening in the chart holder.

23. In a music indicator, the combination with a chart holder having an observation opening and movable transversely across the piano keys, of a key indicator rotatively mounted on said holder below and parallel with said observation opening and provided on two different sides respectively with two Y series of characters representing respectively the major and minor keys, the characters of each series being disposed so as to register with the piano keys respectively when the holder is properly positioned, one character in each series representing the key note of the series, a chart mounted on said holder and provided with a series of staffs each having suitable note inscriptions the chart being disposed on the chart holder so that the staffs may consecutively appear at the observatlon openin when the chart is properly moved, two rol ers to which the ends of the chart are secured respectively, reversible means by Correction in Letters Patent No. 877,259..

Wind the chart upon one and off from the In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as other, means for guiding the chart in front of my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature said observation opening when it is being in the. presence of two Witnesses. Wound from one roller upon the other, and a WILLIAM E. THRASH.

5 member having means for securing it to the Witnesses: piano and slidable lengthwise relative to the JOHN H. SIGGERs, chart holder; B. G. FOSTER.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 8'77,259, granted January 21., 1908, upon the application of William E. Thrash, of Kansas City, Missouri, for an improvement in Music-Indicators, an error appears inrthe printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 2, page 3, the reference numeral. 30 should be stricken out; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent O flice.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of February, A. D., 1908. I

' [SEAL] o. o. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

